Re: DRG's and Child Welfare

[Cynthia Blanchard <cblanche@xxxxxxxx>]

You stated that placing children in foster care is a last resort.  However,
this is not how the funding works.  States are partially reimbursed for each
child in foster care--no maater how many are placed while services are capped.
AFSA also reimburses states for each child adopted.  Thus, we say that we want
to prevent placements and to facilitate family reunification when children are
placed, but our funding does the opposite.

I am completing my dissertation on services to families of children in foster
care and the relationship to family reunification.  I have found that almost no
services had any statistical significance with family reunification.  I also
found what many others have found--that the majority of children placed come
from families who are poor and minorities.  We need more services which are
effective, particularly in the area of substance abuse, both to prevent
placement and for reunification.  However, the child welfare system cannot
address the larger issues which lead to poor and minority children being
placed.

I do agree that children need a permanent plan and absolutely should not
languish in foster care.  However, I do not see AFSA, with its emphasis on
adoption, as the only solution.  We need to do more to prevent placements and
to reunify families when children are placed.

Cynthia Blanchard
cblanche@icdc.com


Julie Forman Jones wrote:

> I urge you to do as you have asked us to do - take a look at the law.  As
> an agency attorney, I can assure you that we are not setting out to make
> legal orphans - but we are also not assuming that a 15 year old boy cannot
> be adopted.  This legislation has forced us to take a long, hard, and
> serious look at cases - from a child's perspectvie.  Try it - it's a little
> different than what most of the system is used to, but it sure looks
> different and makes a lot of sense.
>
> It starts with taking children into care only as a last resort.  We then
> work openly and honestly with parents, letting them know that the days of
> floating in and out of their child's life are over.  They must make a
> commitment and make some changes - TODAY.  It's the parent's decision.  If
> they are not willing to provide a safe home for their child within 12
> months - then a determination is made on a case by case basis.  If there
> are grounds for tpr, and if it is in the child's best interests, then we
> file.  If there are no grounds, or if it is not in the child's best
> interests, we don't file.  It's really not rocket science, but it has
> turned some heads and moved a lot of cases (many kids have been adopted,
> and many have returned home - most importantly, many have been placed in a
> permanent home as opposed to foster care!)